purpose

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PURPOSE Nehemiah 04 October 29, 2017 Introduction: I have enjoyed our study of Nehemiah. As you know, there is so much more that could be said – many more lessons that could be taught – many more insights that could be gained. Today we end our series on Nehemiah with a very relevant topic, PURPOSE. Nehemiah knew his purpose. He believed with all his heart that God’s hand was upon him to lead the people of Israel. Do you know your purpose, what has God called you to do? Scripture: Nehemiah 6:1-4 “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down...” (Nehemiah 6:3a). I. Purposeless “I don’t know what the will of God is for my life.” A. Purpose is what God has placed upon your heart, that matches the gifts with which he has graced you. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10). B. Purpose is a vision of what could be with the hand of God upon us. For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption (Acts 13:36). C. Purpose is born out of prayer and the work of the Spirit. 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants… (Nehemiah 1:6). II. Purpose And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3). A. Purpose is sometimes thrust upon us. 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. …and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3). 11 … Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor” (Judges 6:11–12).





B. Purpose may be inherited. 5 And of all my sons… he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel… (1 Chronicles 28:5–6). C. Purpose is usually discovered. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, …give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cupbearer to the king (Nehemiah 1:11). 4

Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it” (Nehemiah 2:4–5).

III. Adversity 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem… they were very angry. 8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it (Nehemiah 4:7–8). A. Distraction 1 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall… 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 …Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way… (Nehemiah 6:1–4). Mark 1:21-27 – Jesus drives out an evil spirit. Mark 1:29-34 – Jesus heals many. 35 And rising very early in the morning… …he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:35–38). B. Deceive 5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “… the Jews intend to rebel... And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah…’” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done...” (Nehemiah 6:5–9).









Matthew 4:1-10 – The temptations of Jesus

C. Discourage 10 Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah…, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? …I will not go in.” 13 …For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me (Nehemiah 6:10–13). 48

The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! …So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple (John 8:48–59).

PURPOSE Nehemiah 04 October 29, 2017 Introduction: I have enjoyed our study of Nehemiah. As you know, there is so much more that could be said – many more lessons that could be taught – many more insights that could be gained. Today we end our series on Nehemiah with a very relevant topic, PURPOSE. Nehemiah knew his purpose. He believed with all his heart that God’s hand was upon him to lead the people of Israel. Do you know your purpose, what has God called you to do? Scripture: Nehemiah 6:1-4 “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down...” (Nehemiah 6:3a). I. Purposeless “I don’t know what the will of God is for my life.” A. Purpose is what God has placed upon your ______________, that matches the ______________ with which he has ______________ you. (1 Peter 4:10) B. Purpose is a ______________ of what could be with the hand of ______________ upon us. (Acts 13:36) C. Purpose is born out of ______________ and the work of the ______________. (Nehemiah 1:6) II. Purpose (Nehemiah 6:3) A. Purpose is sometimes ______________ upon us. (Genesis 12:1–3) (Judges 6:11–12) B. Purpose may be ______________. (1 Chronicles 28:5–6) C. Purpose is usually ______________. (Nehemiah 1:11) (Nehemiah 2:4–5) III. Adversity (Nehemiah 4:7–8). A. ______________ (Nehemiah 6:1–4) B. ______________ (Nehemiah 6:5–9) C. ______________ (Nehemiah 6:10–13)